Binge Drinking among Economically Disadvantaged African American Older Adults with Diabetes

Purpose. This study investigated the effect of demographic, socioeconomic, and psychological factors as well as the role of health determinants on alcohol consumption and binge drinking among economically disadvantaged African American older adults with type 2 diabetes mellites (T2DM). Methods. This survey recruited 231 African Americans who were older adults (age 65+ years) and had T2DM. Participants were selected from economically disadvantaged areas of South Los Angeles. A structured face-to-face interview was conducted to collect data on demographic factors, objective and subjective socioeconomic status (SES) including education and financial difficulty, living arrangement, marital status, health, and drinking behaviors (drinking and binge drinking). Results. Age, gender, living alone, pain, comorbid conditions, and smoking were associated with drinking/binge drinking. Male gender, pain, and being a smoker were associated with higher odds of drinking/binge drinking, while individuals with more comorbid medical conditions had lower odds of binge drinking. Conclusion. In economically constrained urban environments, gender, pain, and smoking but not age, SES, depression, and health may predict binge drinking for African American older adults with T2DM. African Americans older adult men with T2DM with comorbid pain should be screened for binge drinking.